


Surprise Me

by Leovwin



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: F/M, Fluff
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-12-01
Updated: 2013-12-01
Packaged: 2018-01-03 03:42:20
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,867
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1065354
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Leovwin/pseuds/Leovwin
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>James never would have guessed that it would be this easy to get a date with the lovely Miss Evans - why she herself did not know - or did she?</p>
            </blockquote>





	Surprise Me

**Author's Note:**

> All characters and everything you might recognize belongs to J. K. Rowling.
> 
> I might continue this as soon as I get an idea how...

It was breakfast-time at Hogwarts and the Head Girl could be seen with her cheek on the table and her fork long forgotten in her limp hand. Her eyelids fluttered shut on their own accord every now and then, when she really tried to stay awake.

The Head Boy on the other hand just entered the Great Hall with an unnatural spring in his step for this early hour of the day and smiled even broader when he saw his fellow Head napping on the table. He positioned himself behind her, coughed in order not to startle her and started massaging her shoulders with gentle fingers.

She grumbled in response and tried to say something, but obviously considered it as too much of an effort to move so many muscles at once.

“Did you sleep at all, Lily?” he chuckled.

“No,” she mumbled and surprisingly relaxed under his touch. Her shoulders really did hurt after last night’s studying section and his hands proved to be heavenly for her strained muscles. She sighed contently.

“This really isn’t healthy, you know, if you don’t stop to eat or sleep every now and then.”

She hummed again and he could feel the sound reverberating through her small frame. Her skin was so soft where he brushed his thumbs along her neck over the collar of her blouse.

“You should live a little. I’m sure you’ll get top marks anyway.”

“But… Transfiguration…,” she breathed and he chuckled again about how she could talk to him, but sleep at the same time.

“I’ll help you with that and we’ll be through with it much sooner,” he offered. She was no fun in this state of half-delirium and he’d help her with anything if it meant that she allowed herself a much needed break.

She muttered something that sounded like “thanks” and “purple cows”, but he passed the latter as unintelligible mumbling.

“But I’ll only help you, if you take a rest from studying and go to Hogsmeade with me tomorrow.”

“Anything … but your hands … keep up with that. Good night.”

James was perplexed for a moment. She had agreed! Lily! To a date with him! But he’d think about this later. She wouldn’t forgive herself (or him for that matter), if she missed classes.

“Lily, I thought you were tired instead of drunk.”

“Hmmm”

“Come on, Potions now.” He pulled her up from the bench and steered her trough the corridors.

“Just take a nap now, ok? I’m sure Marlene will let you copy her notes. You can copy mine, if she doesn’t. Slughorn won’t mind.”

***

“Oh hell, you sure about that?” Lily asked Marlene, her voice higher than usual because of her current state of panic. She was freaking out – just a little bit, a very little.

“He said he asked you at breakfast, but wasn’t sure you’d remember anything. Obviously he was right.”

“Well, I do remember something…” Lily admitted slumping down next to Alice on Marlene’s bed.

They were in the 7th year’s girls dormitory after Lily had slept for three hours in the Heads dorms after classes had ended. She had just wanted to tell her friends that she was alive and hadn’t lapsed into coma, but Marlene had pulled her up to the dorm immediately to confront her about James. The boy had caught up with Lily’s best friend on her way to Gryffindor Tower and told her about his conversation with a barely conscious Lily at breakfast and pleaded her to tell Lily about it, as she didn’t seem to know what she was doing. But as it happened she did remember something from their encounter.

The girls watched Lily intently as she began to play with her hands in her lap and her cheeks were slightly pink.

Marlene raised an eyebrow at her. “What exactly is that you remember? Heated snogging section between Pumpkin Juice and scrambled eggs? Surely somebody would’ve noticed that.”

“I think he touched me,” Lily admitted in a small voice.

Marlene grew impatient. “Sooo? What about it? You two have been friendly for about four months now. Surely you must have touched before, bumped your shoulders, shook hands, embraced… You’re seventeen to cry out loud, not twelve anymore! Besides, you’ve had a few boyfriends before, who, I assume, touched you in a more intimate way than would’ve been appropriate in the Great Hall!”

Lily blushed even deeper at this.

“He was so kind and caring and he massaged my shoulders and I really felt better after that. He sure knows what he does. I don’t know, but it felt as if we knew each other.” She shuddered in remembrance.

“Honestly, Lily, do you want to tell us something? One does get the impression he’s your first crush! Though all of Hogwarts knows he’s neither your first, nor your crush, is he?” Alice asked suspiciously.

Lily flung herself on the bed and buried her face in the cushion. “Shut up,” she told her pillow.

That was enough of an answer for the girls. They squealed in excitement. “Finally, Lily. You’ll see he’s not as bad as you think. I told you, you should give the bloke a chance. Let him show you how great he is. One hears things about his hands especially… that massaging shoulders isn’t his only area of expertise…”

“Marlene! I don’t think now is the time to discuss Potters talents, relying on information from the Hogwarts gossip mill. Lily, I think we should go down to the common room and get some more homework done. As important as your date tomorrow is, we’ll have plenty of time to worry about it tomorrow morning.”

Lily was really grateful that Alice was responsible and thought of the important things, when Lily herself got side tracked. Lily surfaced form her hiding place, her face still flaming red like her hair. Her breathing still was a bit faster than usual.

Of course she could have cancelled the date, saying that she wasn’t even fully conscious when she’d agreed to this, but she wasn’t one to back down. She kept her word even if she didn’t really remember giving it.

***

“Oh Lily, no need to freak out. You’ve been on dates before. Just keep calm. This won’t be any different. He’s still James. You know him by now. This is pathetic,” Lily mumbled to herself as the hot water from the shower tried to sooth her nerves. It didn’t work as well as she had hoped for, so she decided not to waste any more time and water in the shower but dry her hair instead. Maybe she should war some make up today. Or maybe not. She felt different every time she did and she wanted to feel like herself today. Besides, James knew her complexion wasn’t flawless and her lips weren’t like snow white’s. She took some time brushing out her hair until it fell down her shoulders in soft shining waves.

“Excuse me, miss, you have visitors,” an elderly man on a portrait announced, before he vanished from the usually empty frame on the wall.

Alice and Marlene were there to assist her. So Lily left her room and pushed against a bookshelf in the common room, which opened a passage way through which the two girls entered the Heads quarters.

After a short greeting Marlene immediately got to work at Lily’s dresser, making a mess of the neatly folded clothes as she searched through it.

“How do you feel?” Alice asked Lily sympathetically.

Lily let out her breath. “I’m fine, I guess. I mean, it’s pathetic to freak out over this. It’s not my first date after all.”

“Right you are, hon,” Marlene commented, not pausing with her search to look up to Lily. But then she pulled out a knitted dress with a triumphant grin on her face. “I knew it had to be here somewhere. He won’t be able to take his eyes off you! You simply have to wear this!” she ordered and threw it to Lily before she dived once more into the depths of the dresser.

Alice shook her head impatiently. "Marlene, you know that Lily could walk around in Slughorn's clothes and James wouldn't take his eyes off her, right?"

Nevertheless, Lily pulled the tight dress over her head obediently. The different shades of brown, hasel to deep brown brought out her pale skin. It barely reached the middle of her tights and was by far not long enough to stop Lily from pulling it down constantly and finger its hem.

“Did James leave for breakfast already?” Alice asked, while they watched Marlene’s frantic searching.

“I don’t know, I haven’t heard any noise yet, so I guess he left before I woke up.”

Alice smiled. “That’s good. We wouldn’t want him to know that you freaked out completely.”

“Oi!” Lily protested, “I’m calm now, or what? No one can see that I’m about to run and shout in panic like a madwoman.”

Alice giggled.

After some fussing from Marlene after she had found matching tights and boots for Lily’s outfit and some calming words from Alice, Lily finally left the Head’s dorms for breakfast, a green cloak over her arm.

James greeted her happily when she reached the Great Hall.

“He stared at her, did you see that? I knew it. I told you so!” Marlene whispered excitedly to Alice, who merely rolled her eyes.

“Of course he did. He fancies her, remember? I don’t think a day has passed since third year that he didn’t stare at her. Honestly, Marlene, where are your eyes? Besides, she doesn’t get the chance to show her awesome legs like this too often.”

“What wouldn’t I give for a bum like hers.”

“I would keep yours if I were you,” said a male voice from behind and Michael sneaked his hands around Marlene’s waist.

She blushed prettily at the compliment and leaned against his chest. “You know how to make a woman feel better,” she sighed.

“I’ll go and sit with the Marauders today. I bet Remus doesn’t have a date, so I’ll go to Hogsmeade with him. I guess I’ll meet you there,” Alice announced, but neither Marlene nor Michael heard her as they were too busy snogging. Alice heaved a deep sigh before she set off to Lily and the Marauders.

“Have any plans for today, any shops you want to visit?” James asked Lily, still looking awestruck as if he couldn’t believe his luck that he got to go out with her.

She smiled warmly at him. “No, not really. It would just be nice to get out of the castle.”

“Very well,” he answered, stood and offered her his hand.

She blushed before she took it and stood as well. “See you, Alice.” She waved with an untypical giddy grin on her face.

Many pairs of eyes followed the pair out of the Great Hall. Many girls wished to be in Lily’s place, holding James’ hand, many boys wondered if Lily had been that pretty all along and regretted that they had not asked her out. Or maybe they didn’t to avoid being pranked by the Marauders for claiming their leader’s 'property'.

**Author's Note:**

> So down here below is a box where I collect mistakes, so if you could be so good and drop them there, I'd be very greatful for it. Constructive critisism fits in there, too.


End file.
